Factbox: Australia international Harry Kewell

(Reuters) - Factbox on Australia international forward Harry Kewell, who announced on Wednesday that he would be retiring from football next month:

* Born in Sydney on September 22, 1978

CLUB CAREER

* Moved joined English Premier League Leeds United as a 15 year old, his father's English heritage allowing him to fulfill British visa requirements.

* Played 181 league matches for Leeds scoring 45 goals between 1996 and 2003 before joining Liverpool on a five-year deal in acrimonious circumstances for five million pounds ($8.25 million).

* Injury and loss of form marked his time at Liverpool but he won the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006 with the Merseyside club, despite being substituted due to injury in both finals.

* Joined Galatasaray when his contract with Liverpool expired in 2008, enjoying three successful seasons at the Turkish club.

* Moved back to Australia with Melbourne Victory for the 2011-12 season in a major boost to the A-League. Scored eight goals in 25 matches before quitting for personal reasons.

* After a brief spell in Qatar with Al Gharafa, returned to Australia to sign a one-year deal with Melbourne Heart.

* Announced on March 26 that the A-League match against Western Sydney Wanderers on April 5 would be his last before retirement.

INTERNATIONAL CAREER

* Became the youngest player to represent Australia in an international when he made his Socceroos debut against Chile at the age of 17 years and seven months in 1996.

* Still a teenager, Kewell scored his first international goal in a World Cup playoff against Iran in front of more than 100,000 fans in Tehran in 1997.

* Australia drew that match 1-1, and the return in Melbourne 2-2 when Kewell also scored, but Iran went to France on the away goal rule.

* Played an instrumental role in Australia qualifying for the 2006 World Cup after coming on as a substitute in the second leg of the playoff against Uruguay and scoring a penalty in the shootout.

* Scored the equalizer against Croatia in the World Cup in Germany which sent Australia into the knockout phase for the first time. Missed the round of 16 match against Italy, which Australia lost, because of injury.

* Helped Australia qualify for the World Cup again in 2010 but missed the opening match and was sent off for handling the ball on the line in the second against Ghana. Australia went out after the group stage.

* Kewell started all of Australia's matches at the 2011 Asian Cup and scored three goals but missed a good chance in the final as Australia went down 1-0 to Japan after extra time.

* Played his final international in a World Cup qualifier against Oman in June 2012.

* Won 58 caps and scored 17 goals for his country. ($1 = 0.6059 British Pounds)